The field of Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine resides at the intersection of a number of disciplines, including bioengineering, cell, molecular, and developmental biology, materials science, chemistry, imaging, and medicine. Close collaborations and interactions among members of all intersecting disciplines help to foster the progression of basic and [unreadable] applied research and transition to clinical therapies that are commercially viable. The Annual [unreadable] North American meeting for the Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine International [unreadable] Society (TERMIS-NA) aims to: (1) provide a forum for leading scientists, engineers, clinicians, [unreadable] and industry and government representatives in the field of Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine to discover discuss and interact, and (2) facilitate networking, professional development, and mentoring of students and young investigators to encourage them to embrace and advance the field of Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine. The upcoming 8th Annual TERMIS-NA 2008 conference, scheduled for December 7-10, 2008 in San Diego, California, will address the scientific and engineering basis for tissue engineering-based repair, regeneration, and treatment of tissues and organs with focus areas of Immunology, Stem Cells, and Organ Engineering. The primary purpose of this proposal is to provide support for graduate student and post-doctoral trainees who are contributing papers to attend TERMIS-NA 2008 and to further the scientific and professional development of trainees through Student and Young Investigator Section (SYIS) events. These SYIS events include poster competitions, a trainee-meet-mentor lunch, a panel discussion on career paths, and resume and job search workshops, as well as a SYIS reception, a fun run, and a business meeting. These events are designed to provide trainees with the knowledge and resources for obtaining independent [unreadable] investigator positions via networking and mentorship by academic and industry leaders. [unreadable] [unreadable] [unreadable]